Automatic piano.



. T all whomjit; may concern:

Be it knownxthat I, RUrUsB. FOWLER, a OItIZGIL- of the United States, residing at \Vorcester, in the, county of \Vorcester and Commonwealth oiqh Iassachusetts, have in vented a new and useful Im rovemcnt in an I Automatic Piano, of whicht e following is a specification accompanied by drawings, form- ;ing a part of thesame, representing such 1::-

tions of: an automatic piano as are necessary to illustrate my present invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional View of the upper port-ion of an automatic piano embodylng my improvement. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional-view one larger scale of such portions of the mechanism as are directlyconcerned in my present invention.

Similar reference letters and figures refer to similar parts in the differentviews.

My present invention relates to that class of automatic pianos whichcomprise a pneumatic mechanism for actuating the individual note producing mechanism, constituting what is known as the piano action, and the object of my resent invention is to provide means controlled by the keys or manuals in the ordinary keyboard of the piano whereby the expression of each of thenote producing mechanism can be varied at will by the operator through the medium of the keys or manuals of the keyboard, and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described and pointed out in the annexed claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings 1 x denotes the case of the piano, 2 one of the piano strings, 3 a piano action comprising a hammer 4 andwippen 5, pivoted at 6. The construction of the piano action may, however, be of any known form as it forms no part of my present invention. The free end of the wippen rests upon a lever 7 pivoted at w 8 to a bar 9, capable of sliding horizontally in ways 10. The lever 7 is cut away on its under side forming ashoulder 11 and a hori' zontally extended tongue 12. The lever 7 normally rests upon a stud or extension 13 carried by the inner end of one of the keys 14 0f the keyboard, and the tongue 12 rests upon the upper end' ofa lifting wire 15wh1ch is provided with a w ash'er '16 resting upon the upper surface of a'lever 17,- attached *a' a pneumatic motor bellows 18 forming a part of thepnumaticection. I i I ijpecificat'ion of "IlettersTatent.

" --r,ui ns s. FiQWLER, OF WoRoEs'TEirinissacnusnrrs.

- AUTOMATIC PIL.-?1NC1;;

'1 Bateiitediuay 19, 1908;

Application filed July 14, 1906. ierial No. 326,276.

The pneumatic mechanism by which the lifting wire 15 is raised comprises a motor pneumatic 18, a prinary pneumatic-19, and a secondary pneumatic 20 connected by a pipe 20". The primary neumatic 19 is connected by a pipe 2i wit a trackerboard 22 over which a perforated sheet 23, carried upon rolls 2 1 and 25, is made to pass by means of a motor, not shown.

1: do not confine myself to any particular form of pneumatic mechanism as any of the known constructions no N in use may be employ ed. The secondary pneumatic 20 is connected by a conduit 26 with a il-llfll'llbii' 27, connected by valve controlled air passages with chambers 28 and 29. The chamber 28 communicates with a chamber 30, and the chamber 29 communicates with a chamber 31. The chamber a '30 and 31 are connected by pi es 32 and 33 with means such as are usual y employed mechanisms of his class for exhausting the air from the chambers and producing diilerent degrees of vacuum the two chambers. The exhausting mechanism may consist of a ump or bellows or other known means emp oyed for the purpose, but not shown or described herein, as its construction and method of o eration will. be well understood by those conversant with this class of mechanism.

As the secondary pneumatic is connected through the conduit 26 with either one or the other oi the chambers 30 and 31, different degrees of tension will be secured in the secondary pneumatic, causing the motor 18 to be collapsed with different degrees of force which, acting through the lifting wire 15, will raise the lever 7 and wippen 5 to cause the hammer to be thrown against the piano string with greater or less degree of force. in the present instance, the chambers 30 and 31 are connected with exhaust mechanism by which a greater vacuum is produced in the chamber 31 than in the chamber 30, and I therefore. term the chamber 30 the chamber of low tension, and the chamber 31 the cham ber of high .tension. The passages between the chamber 27 and the chambers 28 and 29 are controlled by valves 34 and 35 carried upon a common valve stem 36. Attached to the valve stem 36 is a collar 37, and between the collar 37 and the upper Wall of the collar 39 attached to the valve stem .and limiting the upward movement of the valve stem by its contact against the upper wall of the chamber 28.

The valve 34 is capable of sliding on the valve stem 36 and is normally held against a sleeve 40 by means of a spring 41.

' ondary pneumatic to be normally con downward at 64 to provide for the pivotal" of swinging the levers 61 and 62.

end of the levers 61 and 62 are connected by nected with a low tension chamber 30. Resting upon the tip 45 of the valve stem 36 is the free end of a lever 46. The opposite end of the lever 46 is pivoted at 47 to a bar 48 which is supported at each end upon the free ends of levers 49 and 50. The levers 49 and 50 are pivoted at their opposite ends at 51, 52, upon brackets 53, 54.- Attached to the under side of the levers 49 and 50 are wedge shaped blocks 55 and 56 between which and the frame-work of the piano are interposed friction rolls 57.and 58; The rolls 57 and 58 are connected by links 59, 60, with swinging levers 61 and 62 attached to a rocking shaft' 63. The swinging lever '62. is extended attachment of a rod 65, provided at its outer end with a handle 66 in convenient position to be reached bythe operator for the purpose The upper links 67- and 68 withthe sliding bar 9 to which the levers 7 are pivoted. By pulling orlpushing the rod 65 a swinging movement m be given in either direction to the levers 61 and 62, thereby imparting a simultaneous movement to the bar 9 along the ways 10 and to the friction rollers 57 and 58 beneath the inclined surfaces of the wedge sha ed pieces 55 and 56. Pushing the rod 65 will cause the levers 49 and 50 to be swung on their pivots to raise the bar 48 into the position indicated by the broken lines69.

1 Resting upon the lever 46 is a s indle 70 sliding'freely in the framework of t e' piano, and preferably provided at its upper end by a wooden tip 71 which rests upon the frame- Work and limits the downward movement of the spindle 70. Asthe bar 48 is raised into the position of the broken lines 69, the pivoted end of the lever 46 is. likewise raised, while its free end is supported by the valve stem 36, causing the spindle 70 to be lifted and its tip 71 brought 1n the position shown by the broken lines 72 and into contact with the under side of the key 14,- so that the depression of the keywill depress the lever 46 and push the valve stem 36 downward, compressiiigth'e spring 38 and carrying the valve 34 into contact with the valve seat 44, thereby closing the passage between the chambers 27 and 28, and bringing the sleeve 40 into contact with the valve 35. The continued downward movement of the valve stem 36 will cause the spring 41 to be compressed and the. valve 35 to be pushed out of contact with the valve seat 42 compressing the spring 43. When the key 14 is released the spring 38 will reverse the position of the valve stein-lever 46 and spindle 70, causing the valves34 and 35 to resume their normal position, as shown in Fig. 2. Simultaneous with the movement of the friction rolls 57 and 58to raise the bar 48, the bar 9 is moved along the ways 10, bringing the extension 13 of the key beyond the shoulder 11, so that the depression of the opposite end of the key fails to actuate the lever 7 while the ext-ens sion 12 of the lever 7 is still supported upon the lifting wire 15.

In the normal position of the parts as shown in Figs. 1' and 2, the piano may be played in the usual manner by the depression of the keys or manuals of the keyboard. The depression of the key 14 lifts the lever 7 and wippen 5 to actuate the piano action and cause the hammer to strike the string in the usual manner. Likewise the passage of the perforated sheet 23 over the trackcrboard, through primary or secondary pneuinatics of any known form of construction will cause the motor pneumatic 18 to be alternately ex anded and colla sod, causing arising and fed ing'moti'on oft e lifting wire 15 which, acting against the extension 12 of the lever 7 will likewise raise the wippen 5 and actuate the .iano action. If the rod 65 be pushed in, the ar 9 will be drawn back, moving all the levers 7 in the direction of the arrow c, Fig. 2,

and bringing the cut away portion of the levers over the extension 13 so that the depression of the keys fails to actuate the piano action. Simultaneously with the movement of the bar 9 the friction rolls 57 and 58 are moved in the direction of the arrow 1), Fig. 2, to lift the bar 48 into the position. shown by broken lines 69, thereby raising the pivoted ends of all the levers 46.

The lifting of the bar 48 raises all the spindles 70 and brings their tips 71 into contact with the under side of the keys, as shown by the broken lines 72, Fig. 2. The key is now disconnected from the piano action while the connection between the piano action and pneumatic mechanism. still remains, enabling the piano action to be operated by the perforated sheet 23, with the expression determined by the tension or state of vacuum in the chamber 30. If it is desired to give an increased force to any individual unit of the piano action, the key corresponding with that unit is depressed, causing the secondary pneumatic to be connected with the high tension chamber 31 and disconnected from the low tension chamber 30. When this has been accomplished the passage of an opening in the perforated sheet 23 over the trackerboard will cause the motor pneumatic to be actuated in the usual manner in mechanisms of this class, but with an increased force determined by the higher tension of the chamber 31. The sliding bar 9 is provided with levers 7 corresponding to the number of note producing units in the piano action it is desired to operate by the neumatic mechanism, and the corres 0nding number of levers 4 6 are provider and arranged to be independently depressed by the individual keys of the keyboard, so that any of the notes capable of being sounded by the pneumatic mechanism may at the will of the operator be sounded by an increased force by the depression of the corresponding keys of the keyboard.

I claim, 1. In an automatic piano, a piano action, a iano keyboard containing keys for manu a1 y operating said piano action to produce individual notes, a pnuematic mechanism for operating said piano action, means for varying the tension'of said pnuematic mechanism with respect to each individual note, means for operatively connecting and disconnecting said tension varying mechanism with the corres onding key of the keyboard at will.

2. ii an automatic piano, a series of note producing mechanisms, a keyboard comprising a series of keys for manually operating said note producing mechanisms independently of each other, a series of pneumatic mechanisms for individually actuating said note producing mechanisms, meansfor individually varying the tension of said pneumatic mechanisms, means for operatively connecting said tension varying mechanisms with the corresponding keys in the keyboard, and means for disconnecting the keys from the note producing mechanisms.

3. In an automatic piano, the combination of a piano action, a neumatic action, mechanismfor varying t e tension of said pneumatic action, a series of keys or manuals, and means for simultaneously controlling the connection between said keys and said piano action and between said keys and said pneumatic action.

4. In an automatic piano, the combination with a piano action, a pnuematic action for actuating the 'piano action, mechanism for varying the tension of said neumatic action, a series of keys or manual s, and means for ooeratively connecting said keys alternately I piano action, ally actuating'said piano action independat will with either said piano action or with said tension varying mechanism.

5. In an automatic piano, the combination of a piano action, a mechanism for automatically actuating said piano action, a series of keys or manuals capable of being connected with said piano action, and means operatively connected with said keys or manuals for varying the force of said automatic actuating mechanism.

6. In an automatic piano, the combination with a piano action, and a series of keys or manuals operatively connected with said of mechanism for automaticently of said keys, mechanism for controlling a the force of said automatic actuating mechanism, and means for operatively connecting said keys or manuals with said controlling mechanism at will.

7 In an automatic piano, the combination with note producing mechanism and a key or manual for actuating said note producing mechanism, and a pneumatic mechanism for actuating said note producing mechanism, of means operatively connected with said key for increasing the force applied to said note producing mechanism.

8. ii an automatic piano, the combination with a note producing mechanism, andv a pneumatic mechanism for actuating saidv note producing mechanism, of a key or manual, means for o eratively connecting T and disconnecting sai key or manual with .said note producing mechanism, a forcecontrolling mechanism whereby the force of said pneumaticmechanism as applied to the noteproducing mechanism can e increased, and means for operatively connecting and dis connecting said force controlling mechanism at will with said key or manual.

9. In an automatic piano, the combination with a iano action, and a key or rranual operatiyei y connected with said piano action,

of a pneumatic action operatively connected with said piano action, chambers having different degrees of tension, valve controlled passages between said chambers and said pneumatic action, a valve mechanism for controlling said air passages, means for operatively connecting and disconnecting said valve mechanism with said key or manual,.

wher the force exerted by said pneumatic action upon the piano action is varied.

RUFUS B. FOWLER. Witnesses:

PENELOPE COMBERBAGH. ROY D. TOLMAN. 

